Apr 03, Colombo: Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) says it will work together with the other opposition political parties in the Western and Southern Provincial Councils.

The UNP says that the combined opposition holds 46 percent of the seats in the Western Provincial Council and 41 percent in the Southern Provincial Council.

Chairman of the UNP Leadership Council, Karu Jayasuriya told a news conference today that the government had managed to secure a victory by blatantly violating election laws.

He said that the governing party had used the entire state mechanism for its campaign at the recently concluded provincial council elections.

Jayasuriya claimed that the local election monitors have stated that the recently concluded provincial council elections were not free and fair.

However, independent election monitoring groups have said that election was free and fair in both provinces except for few complaints of election law violations and none of a serious nature.

Jayasuriya added that the not holding free and fair elections in the country coupled with a situation where there are allegations of human rights violations, lack of democracy and transparency in the country will not be good for Sri Lanka.